Sanitary pad support



Nov. 6, 1951 E. R. SUTTER 2,574,133

SANITARY PAD SUPPORT Filed July 50, 1949 lsupport, showing the internal Patented Nov. 6, 1951 Nitro SANITARY PAD VsiUPPom Edward R. Sutter, Chicago, jI-ll., -as'signortoeau- T-Form Foundations, Inc., a corporation of Illinois l This invention relates to aA sanitary pad support for a foundation garment and has a general object to provide a new and improvedsupport of the character described.

A more particular object is to provide a support which may be permanently attached to a foundation garment without interfering with the normal use of the garment.

Another object is to provide a support having means for grasping a sanitary'pad which may be placed in a position which holdsthe means out of contact with the body of the wearer when notinuse. .Y Y Y Another object is to provide a support which may be attached to the inner surface of a foundation garment and having a laterally yieldable portion adapted to yield coincident with circumferential .stretching of the foundation garment.

A further object is to provide a support of the character describedhaving-.a supporting means enclosed within a :flatv rcloth sheath to prevent. chang when worn by the user.` y

Other objects and advantages: :will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing` in which: l

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the 4sanitary pad support of this invention and illustrated as mounted on the .bottompar-t of a foundation garment shown in dottedlines.

Fig. 2 isv an enlarged. front. view of the front support showing the Ainternalstructure thereof in dotted lines. 1 Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the rear structure thereof in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a planr view ofv a piece of cloth from which the sheath shown in Fig. 3 may be formed.

While` the invention is susceptible `ofavarious modifications and alternate constructions, it is here shown and will hereinafter be described. in a preferred embodiment. It .is not intended, however, that the invention be. limitedthereby to the specific disclosure made but 'on the contrary it is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling w-ithin the spirit and scope of this. invention as: defined in the appended claims..

It is desirable thatany `sanitary pad support intended to lbe. worn4 atv the sameftime as a foundation garment be capable. of'lyin'g flat V'7 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 291) against the bod-y of the wearer and providewa snug yet comfortable positioning of the pad; The pad is 4supported at the front and at the rear and each support Ashould exert an upwardly directedV pull on the pad.

shown herein for purposes of disclosure, the Ysanitary pad supporting means comprises generally a front support 5 which is adapted t0 be Aattached as by sewing `(i to the inner surfaceof 'a Jfoundation garment 'I0 herein illustrated fragmentarily and a rea-r `support 1 which is adapted'to be attachedl as bysew-i-ng 8 and 18a.'

to 'thefmner surface vof the foundation gar-ment atv the rear thereof. Each support 5, 1 is posi tioned on the foundation garment so that the lower edge of the support `is .aligned with or' The. front support 5 yas illustrated in detail in Fig. 2, kcomprises avr cloth lsheath I2 formed in the shape .of a trapezoid.V The sheath I2 may-- be formed of two separate pieces of cloth or ofone cloth piece folded along the longer `parallel side I3 :and ysewed or otherwise .fastened together along the marginal edges .leaving 'ani opening Hiin the shorter parallel side -I5 communicating with the interior of the sheath.v The sheath is fiat in order that it may lie smoothly .and with the greatestramount Ofcom;- -fortagainst the fbodyvcf the wearer when attanned to .a foundation garment.

.A pad grasping hook 9 is loosely threadedV on aV flat Vstrip- I-6- `of elastic material and has Ian elongated narrow slot iii-adapted to receive `and securely vhold an yend of apad therein. The stripf- I-S of elastic material is folded at its approximately longitudinal center into the formof a V.-

ofy a length sufficient to have the base I9'1 lof" the V^s`haped strip fall just below the shorter paral-r lel side I5 of the. sheath lso as to project outo'f the opening-M fa short distance when the strip-v is: secured within the sheath as above described'.`

The hook 91 will normally seek a position onthe stripY I6 near the ibase of the` V and willl dependbelow the edge of' the sheath when in usable position. The lstrip. t6' being attachedl within 'the sheath at the free-ends of the' legs` of theX V" 'is free to stretch longitudinally to apply tension to the pad directing a yieldingly upward pull on the pad to hold it in proper position.

When the support is not in use, the hook 9 may be insertedinto the sheath so that it will not dangle below the foundation garment. This is accomplished by pulling the hook away from the sheath so as to stretch the Vstrip I6, inverting the hook and inserting into the sheath with the narrow slot l1 of the hook entering the sheath rst. The strip I6 will spring back to its normal unstrained position pulling the hook into the sheath and retaining the hook therein until the wearer wishes to pull it back out. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the hook is completely shielded within the sheath when so inverted and only a small portion of the strip I6 extends below the shorter parallel side l of the'sheath.

The rear support 1 illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 has a flat cloth sheath 20 folded into the shape of a V having a right leg 2l and a left legy22 lconverging into a common base 23. The sheath is preferably made of one piece of material (as illustrated in Fig. 5) but may be made from more than one piece. In the embodiment illustrated, a piece of cloth cut in the approximate N shape illustrated in Fig. 5 is folded along a line 24 between the adjacent surfaces of the legs of the sheath and the piece of cloth on either side of the fold line 24 is folded upon itself along a line 25 and 25' respectively to form the enclosure of each leg of the sheath. The outer marginal edges of the legs and base are then bound together as by sewing 26 and the lower edge Zlof the base 23 is left open providing an entrance to the interior of the sheath. A foundation garment in performing its function of slenderizing the hips and thighs is capable of stretch circumferentially of the garment. The garment stretches in this manner when the wearer-assumes a sitting position or bends forwardly from the hips. The sheath 20 is adapted to be attached to the inner surface of the foundation, garment at the free ends of the legs 2|. 2,2 and Whenthe garment is stretched circumferentially, the legs will move apart so as to not interfere with the normal function of the foundation garment.

.A pad grasping hook 9 is loosely threaded on an elongated thin strip 28 of elastic material and has a narrow slot 29 to receive and securely hold one end of a pad. The strip 28 is folded intermediate i'ts ends to form a V and the free ends ofV the strip are respectively attached within thesheath to the upper endsoflegs of the sheath as by sewing 20. The hook 9`depends below the sheath when in usable position and may be inv erted and placed within the sheath when not in use in the manner describedabove in connection with the front support shown in Fig. 2. When the hook is placed within the sheath a portion of the strip 28 projects below the sheath, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to provide a convenient nger-hold with which to pull the hook out of the sheath.

V'I'he pad supports may be attached or removed from a foundation as desired or may be permanently sewn therein. The garment may be laundered without removing the pad supports as all parts of the supports are of washable fabrics except the hook 9. When the wearer is moving about, the elastic strips stretch or contract as necessary to maintain a firm upwardly directed pull on the pad retaining it in proper position and the cloth sheaths protect the individual-s skin against chailng by the elastic strips.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that I have perfected a vastly improved sanitary pad support for a foundation garment. With the use of my support, a sanitary pad may be worn when wearing a foundation garment without the necessity of a separate supporting structure about the hips. Y

I claim as my invention:

1. A sanitary pad support for a foundation garment comprising, in combination, a foundation garment. a front support including a trapezodial shaped cloth sheath having an opening in its short parallel side communicating with the interior` of the sheath, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends to vform a V, said strip being attached at its free to be inverted and held withinsaid sheath in' a second position when not in use and means for attaching said sheath to the front inner sux'- face of the foundation garment, and a rear support including a'V-shaped cloth sheath having separate legs converging into a common base and an opening extending through the lower edge of the base communicating with the interior of the sheath, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends and having its free ends respectively attached within the sheath to the free ends of the legs of said sheath, a pad-grasping hook loosely threaded on said strip and adapted to depend below the sheath in a first usable position and to be inverted and held within said sheath in a second position when not in use and means for attaching said sheath to the inner rear surface of the foundation garment.

2. A supporting means for a wearable item comprising, in combination. an item-grasping hook loosely threaded'on an elongated strip of elastic material, said strip being folded intermediate its ends into the shape of a V with the hook at the base -of the V, a thin cloth sheath enclosing said strip and having the strip secured at its free ends to the upper edge of the sheath with the folded end of the strip substantially aligned with the bottom edge of the sheath, said sheath having only a single opening at its bottom'edge, said hook depending below the sheath when in usable position and adapted to be inverted and held within the sheath by said strip when not in use.

3. A supporting means for a wearable item adapted for use with a circumferentially stretchable garment comprising', in combination. a thin cloth sheath formed in a V-shape' having separate legs converging into a common base and only a'single opening in the bottom edge of said base communicating with the interior of the sheath, said sheath being adapted to be secured to a garment at the free ends of its legs to provide relative lateral movement of saidlegs coincident with circumferential stretching of the garment, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends to form a V, said stripv being attached at its free ends within the sheath with the base of the VV substantially aligned with the bottom edge of the sheath, and an item-grasping hook loosely threaded on said strip and adapted to depend below the sheath in a usable position and to be held within the sheath when notdnuse. g l

4. A supporting means for a wearable item adapted for use with a circumferentially stretchable garment comprising, in combination, a thin cloth sheath formed in a V-shape with an opening in the bottom edge of the V communicating with the interior thereof, said sheath having a first strip of material forming one side of the base of the sheath and folded on a bias beyond the base to form a iirst leg and a second strip of material forming the other side of the base of the sheath and folded on a bias crossing the bias in said first strip to form a second leg of said sheath spaced and separate from said rst leg, textile stitching binding the outer marginal edges of said strips together, said sheath being adapted to be secured to a garment at the free ends of its legs to provide relative lateral movement of said legs coincident with circumferential stretching of the garment, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends to form a V, said strip being attached at its free ends within the sheath with the base of the V substantially aligned with the bottom edge of the sheath, and an item-grasping hook loosely threaded on said strip and adapted to depend below the sheath in a usable position and to be held within the sheath when not in use.

5. A supporting means for a wearable item, comprising, in combination, a trapezoidal shaped thin cloth sheath opening only downwardly through the shorter parallel side thereof and adapted to be attached to a garment along the longer parallel side of the sheath, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends to form a V secured within the sheath at its free ends with the base of the V substantially aligned with the lower edge of the sheath, and an item-grasping hook loosely threaded on said strip adapted to depend below the lower edge of the sheath when in usable position and to be inverted and held within the sheath when not in use. y

6. A supporting means for a wearable item comprising, in combination, an elongated strip of elastic material folded intermediate its ends, a thin cloth sheath enclosing said strip and securing the strip at its free ends within the sheath, said sheath having only a single opening along one edge thereof, and a pad-grasping hook loosely threaded on said strip and depending below the sheath in a usable position through said open edge when said strip is in normal position, said hook being adapted to be inverted and held within the sheath when not in use with the threaded end of the hook depending slightly below said open edge.

7. A cloth sheath for a supporting means for a wearable item adapted for use with a circumferentially stretchable garment comprising, a thin V-shaped cloth sheath having separate legs converging to a common base and an opening in the bottom edge of the base communicating with the interior of the sheath, said sheath being formed of one piece of material having two main portions and a first fold line positioned between said portions, each main portion being divided into two sub-portions positioned on eitherV side of a second fold line and stitching securing the outer free marginal edges of the piece together when folded on said fold lines to form the cloth sheath.

EDWARD R. SUTTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 605,108 Lindsay June 7,1898 1,776,199 Sheldon Sept. 16, 1930 2,452,129 Kaldor Oct. 26, 1948 

